Contact-bank.



J. G. ROBERTS- CONTACT BANK.

ArfPLlcATxoN FILED Nov. 3. 1911.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIOE.

JOHN e. RoiERTs, OE DOB'Es FERRY, NEW YORK, AssIGNOR `To WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OE NEW YORK, N. Y., a CORPORATION OE NEW YORK.

CONTACT-BANK.

l Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented N ov. 1918.

Application led November 3, 1917. Serial No. 200,073.

and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Contact-Banks, of which the -following is a full,

clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to multiple contactv banks for electric switches of the kind having their brushes movable in two directions at right angles to each other.

The object of this invention in general is is so constructed that the brushes may travel a. minimum distance in both directions to reach any one of the sets of Contacts of the bank.

According to the 'general features of this invention, there is provided a plurality off longitudinally extending wires grou ed in sets with an equal number of sets divided in,`

superimposed horizontal layers. v Thesewires are insulated from each other by insulating material formed into a practically solid structure except for openings running transversely iny vertical and Y horizontal rows therethrough. Into these openings, brushes may be'passed to make contact successively with corresponding exposed contact surfaces of the wires in each set. More specifically two wires in each set, which .normally are lying parallel to each other, are so bent and formed that portions thereof are exposed in the bottom of saidopenings. The third wire which is straight` lies between and slightly below the other two and is exposed thro the roof of the opening below. Thus, it will be seen that the brushes must be arranged so that two of them will pass through one opening and the other through the opening below to make contact with the sets in a layer.

.A brush operating mechanism may be provided, in front of` each vertical row of brushes for the manipulation of the brushes in two directions thatis, upwardly in front of a vertical row of openings and -horizontally through two adjacent openings in that row. A brush operating mechanism of this t pe is shown in the pending application of ohn Newberry Reynolds, Serial No. 158,190.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a portion of the contact bank with parts broken away to show more clearly its construction; Fig. 2 is a perspective View of one layer in the course of construction.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, 1 represents a complete bank built up of molded layers`2, in which the groups of wires .3, 4

and are embedded with Contact surfaces exposed at 6, 7 and 8 respectively. The brushes 10, 11 and l2 are shown in position to be moved into the openings 13 and 14, with the brushes 10 and I1 making contact with exposed portions 6 and 7 of each set respectively, and brush 12 with exposed portions 8 of each set. A bank 1 built upv by means of these layers 2 constitutes a structure in which are formed parallel vertical rows of openings such as 13, 14 and l5.

The construction of -a layer 2 is begun as shown in Fig. 2 in which a sheet or stri 16 of insulating material is stamped or molded with parallel transversely running grooves 18 on the upper side and similar grooves 19 on the lower side and with parallel longitudinally running grooves 20 on the upper side and 21 on the under side. The wires 3 and 4 are lying in two adjacent grooves 20 with their bent portions 6 and 7 resting on :the upper surfaces 23 and 24 respectively, at

the place where openings such as 13 and 14 and 15 are to be formed. The wires 5 are lying straight in the grooves 21 which are of such depth 'as to allow the wires to be half exposed wherever they pass grooves 19. Each strip 16 Awith all the wires 1n place is then placed as a corefin a form `or mold which is shaped so as to allow a molten insulating compound to be poured around and embed the v.strip 16 fand the wires with only the surfaces 6, 7 and 8V exposed. This mold is further shaped so that a lug 26,*on the upper side and a lug 25 on the under side of the strip 16 are formed between every -set of contact surfaces 6, 7 and 8, as shown in Fig-1. The insulating compound is of such ohara'ctergas to solidify when cold, and will thereforenot'only serve to hold the wires in place but also serve as a framework from which the complete bankl may be built up, that is to say, when these layers 2 are piled on tofp of each other with the lugs 25 on Vone layer registeringland resting on lugs 26 of the layer below, t ey will make .up a bank as shown in Fig. 1 with the openings 13, 14. and 15 in proper relation to each other. Thev layers 2 may be held together by means of a suitable framework (not shown), thus givey ing to the bank a compact and substantial construction in which the wires are 'adequately protected from injury and accldental displacement.

The layers 2 are formed with wedgeshaped edges 2T so that the brushes will, readily adjust themselves inthe openings 13 and 14, thus .allowing the mechanism that drives the brushes in a vertical direction to be of a less accurate adjustment and subject to considerable usage without imperiling its operation. This wedge-shaped edge 2 is especially useful as the distance between 'the layers 2 is relatively small. Y

One difficulty has been to arrange the wires in close proximity to each other and yet provide suliicient insulation between them and at the same time provide suiiicient distance between the layers to permit of the free passage of the brushes without the possibility of having them come in contact with the wires of adjacent layers. The specific arrangement of the wires 3, 4 and 5 in relation to each other and the positioning of the exposed portions 6 and 7 of wires 3 and f1 in parallel straight lines and the alinement of correspondin wires 5 in the same vertical plane with t ese portions, makes it possible to build the layers 2 with their sets arranged specially close together. The distances between the corresponding wires in adjacent sets are by this arrangement of sufficient width to insure against the brushes bridging two adjacent wires even thouglh considerable inaccuracy may exist in t e mechanism for moving the brushes across their contact surfaces.

It is obvious that the invention could be modied, to include more or fewer conductors in each set to be traversed by corresponding brushes, without departing from the spirit thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A contact bank for electric switches comprising a longitudinally extending group of wires arranged in sets of thr'ee',"'two wires in each set being bent so as to form alternate raised contact surfaces, corresponding surfaces in every set arranged A 1n transverse rows, and insulating materlal molded around said group of wires to expose said contact surfaces and corresponding surfaces on the.

third wire to form parallel paths for'contact brushes.

2. A Contact bank for electric switches comprising superimposed layers of longituf dinally extending groups of wires arranged in sets of three, two wires in each set being bent to form alternate raised contact surfaces, corresponding surfaces .in every 'set arranged in transverse line, and insulatin 6K v different sets forming transverse rows of Contact surfaces, a structure of insulating material molded around said wires exposing the bent portions and corresponding portions of the third wires.

4. A contact bank for electric switches comprising superimposed layers of longitudinally extending groups of wires arranged in sets of three, a pair of said wires in each set having alternate bent portions turned so as to lie in the same longitudinal direction, the third wire lying between but slightly below the other two wires parallel with the bent portions thereof, the bent portions of corresponding wires in different setsarranged in transverse rows, a structure of insulatingmaterial molded around said layers with transverse openings betweenthe layers to expose 'the bent portions and corresponding portions of the third wires.

5. A contact bank for electric switches comprisingY a plurality of longitudinally extending wires arranged in sets, said sets being grouped into superimposed horizontal layers, bent portions on corresponding wires in each set arranged in transverse rows, in-

sulating material molded around said wires with transverse openings exposing said bent portions to form paths for contact brushes.

6. A contact bank for electric brushes comprising a plurality of longitudinally extending wires arranged in sets, said sets being grouped into superimposed horizontal layers, insulating material molded around said wires with transverse openings and exposing sections of said wires to form paths for contact brushes. l i

7. A multiple contact bank comprising sets of conducting wires molded in insulating material and having alternate exposed and'unexposed sections, each set conslstin of three or more wires running approximately paralle'l to each other and all 1n lthe same plane throughout their exposed portions but not all in the same plane throughout their unexposed portions.

8. A multiple Contact bank comprising grooved strips of insulating material, wires having offset portions for contact surfaces supported in said grooves, and insulating lmeans for securing said Wires in said grooves..

9. A multiple Contact bank comprising grooved .strips of insulating material, Wires having 'offset portions for Contact surfaces supported in said grooves, and insulating material molded into said grooves to secure said Wires in said grooves.

In Witness whereof I hereunto subscribe 10 my name this 30th day of October, A. D. 1917.

JOHN G. ROBERTS. 

